Superman: The Man of Tomorrow
by Onimiman
Summary: You wanted it, you got it, at least the first part anyway. This is the sequel to my Superman: The Man of Steel fic that you were all kindly asking for. I kinda had a creative stump on this, in that I don't know how to end it, or even stray it a little more away from The Dark Knight Rises. Leave a comment! Oh, and Superman really is dead by the end of this fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, you all asked for it, so here it is, the sequel to Superman: The Man of Steel. And while this may be the second Superman fic I wrote set within the Returns verse, I'd consider it to be the finale of that franchise, i.e. The Dark Knight Rises to the Nolan trilogy. And like that film, I may very well disappoint many of you (even though I wasn't disappointed by TDKR; in fact, it's my fave film of all time) as I'm basically writing this for those who want it rather than myself. I never really wanted to do a sequel, even though I wrote a rough outline years back that I didn't really think was good, but what the hell, I'll do it for all of you who reviewed. I did forget what happened to that outline, so I'll basically do a pseudo-ripoff from TDKR.  
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**At least I can morph this fic into something better with all your advice (and sorry I won't make this multi-chapter; I kinda wanna make it consistent with how I wrote The Man of Steel). Anyway, enough of my ranting, let's go to the story.**

The film opens up with clipped flashbacks from The Man of Steel, focusing on Jason White's scenes from the film, except it has Darkseid in Superman/Clark Kent's place (except for when Superman killed Richard; then Superman is still there as a villain), with Jason nearly sacrificing himself for Apokolips rather than Earth from the forces of the New Gods. Jason then wakes up from the dream sequence in a luxurious bedroom, and he leaves, finding himself in an opulent palace. He is met by Darkseid, who Jason accepts as his surrogate father now that Richard has died, and he vows complete obedience to him. The opening title sequence, in place of the iconic John Williams score, is replaced with a montage of Jason's training on Apokolips under Granny Goodness as the credits roll. We see him grow up to become a hardened warrior over the course of twelve years, so that by eighteen years old, he has become a hardened warrior just as Darkseid announces that they shall go to war with the universe. Their plan is to use one of Apokolips's latest creations, the Mother Box, to conquer all that is; and if there are any who dare to stand in their way, they have a secret weapon in stock...

After the opening sequence, we cut back to Earth, which is now commemorating its twelfth anniversary since the Battle of Earth, which had wiped out 4 billion of its own citizens. Representatives from the New Gods, such as the Highfather's son Orion, attend the annual event in Metropolis with Superman, as heroes for making sure that Earth would not only be destroyed and have a chance to be rebuilt, but also for making sure that the Anti-Life Equation didn't fall into Darkseid's hands. Meanwhile, since the events of the last film, Superman revealed that he is Clark Kent to Lois, and they've been married for the better part of a decade now. And also since the Battle of Earth, crime has decreased dramatically, given the dramatic loss of life that had occurred, and a relatively new hero known as Big Barda, a defect agent of Darkseid, has become big across Earth, almost outshining Superman (at this point, Barda has been a hero for two years, already earning Superman and Earth's trust . The Man of Steel considers that he may retire, a sentiment that Lois echoes.

On the world of New Genesis, homeworld of the New Gods, several portals open across the skies of the planet, and hordes of Darkseid's forces begin invading and destroying the planet at Jason's personal command. The skeletal forces of New Genesis do all they can to counter the invading forces before Orion and his forces return from Earth to protect their homeworld. In spite of Orion's efforts, Jason himself leads a small contingent of Apokoliptian forces into the Highfather's castle and, after he and his own forces defeat the castle's security, he manages to snap the Highfather's neck, killing him instantly. However, Jason orders a retreat back into the portals in the skies of New Genesis when Orion's forces actually begin to prove a real threat, and during this departure, Orion spots Jason leaving. The portals close when Jason and his forces depart.

Orion returns to Earth in secret to contact Superman, and explains to the Man of Steel that Jason is still alive. Superman is shocked to hear not only that, but that Jason also led Darkseid's forces on New Genesis. Orion also explains that because he is actually Darkseid's biological son adopted by the Highfather, the intervening politicians on New Genesis won't accept him as their ruler to replace the Highfather. Orion also reveals that he had been exchanged from Darkseid to Highfather, with Kalibak, who died back in the Battle of Earth, being Highfather's biological son being exchanged to Darkseid as part of a truce that preceded the chase for the Anti-Life Equation from Krypton. The destruction of the Anti-Life Equation twelve years earlier pretty much amended the truce, which is why New Genesis and Apokolips never engaged in another battle since Earth.

Orion gets down to business by telling Superman that while he'll be able to control the military forces of New Genesis against Apokolips, the politicians standing in for the Highfather do not want to actually send any forces to Apokolips, as they feel that if Darkseid has the ability to generate portals from Apokolips to New Genesis, they need to station their forces permanently to defend themselves. Essentially, Orion asks Superman to go to Apokolips with Big Barda in order to find out how Darkseid can create portals, destroy that source, and retrieve Jason if possible. Superman agrees, and he manages to recruit Big Barda after they defeat a band of Intergang running a boat of drugs from Metropolis to Gotham City. After Superman says goodbye to Lois, promising that when he returns, he'll have Jason and retire, he and Barda depart for Apokolips.

As Superman and Barda travel to Apokolips, a portal opens up in the night sky of a highly technological alien world hundreds of systems away from Earth. In drops a large, shadowy figure who begins destroying the planet and killing its citizens. We then transition above orbit where an Apokoliptian fleet, with Darkseid in the lead capital vessel with Jason at his side, lays in wait. Darkseid and Jason watch the sensors of the ship in approval as they view the statistics of the planet's impending destruction.

We then cut back to Apokolips, where Superman and Barda arrive. Barda has her spaceship go into stealth mode so they can sneak onto Apokolips on top of Darkseid's palace. There, they sneak into his palace and begin beating their way through Darkseid's guards as they proceed to his throne room. There, however, as Superman is the first to go in, the palace doors close in on him, cutting him off from Barda, who is then attacked and beaten down by surprise guards who lay in wait in finely cut hidden alcoves in the palace's walls (they were made after Barda defected, in case she returned so they could trap her). Superman, however, proceeds to take on Darkseid and Jason alone in the throneroom, but they turn out to be holograms. Jason remains silent but retains a glare of hatred for Superman, the man who killed his "true father" Richard while Darkseid mocks the Man of Steel; mainly, he tells him that they wouldn't waste their energy on him given their war on the universe, which began with the attack at New Genesis, which Darkseid knew would throw the world into turmoil with the Highfather's death. The holograms then fade away as the threat foreshadowed in the previous scene, Doomsday, rises from the floor of Darkseid's throne room and engages Superman. However, as the battle proceeds, Doomsday beats Superman around the throne room, gradually turning it into a one-sided fight as the Man of Steel loses his ground. Eventually, the fight ends with Doomsday delivering one final punch against the Man of Steel, and he kills the superhero. All the while, Darkseid watched on in amusement and Jason in stoic silence, but when Superman dies, his expression turns to something resembling hints of grief. The scene ends with Barda ending up imprisoned in one of Darkseid's palace's dungeons, where Granny Goodness plans to brainwash her back into Darkseid's obedience.

Following the events in the palace, Jason appears from a portal appearing in New Genesis's skies acting as an emissary for Apokolips with only a skeletal military force to protect him. He goes to the politicians to inform them that Apokolips knows that Orion sent Superman against them, and he tells them that if they don't exile Orion from New Genesis, then Apokolips will attack again. The politicians immediately agree to this, and Orion is banished predictably. Jason keeps to his word and leaves without committing any further violence to New Genesis... for now. In the meantime, Orion, with a few loyal forces left on his side, return to Earth to seek asylum. Meanwhile, back on Apokolips, Superman returns from the dead, but finds himself in a room filled with red kryptonite, leaving him powerless before Darkseid. Darkseid explains that for destroying the Anti-Life Equation back on Earth, and thus rendering his chances of ruling the universe impossible, he will make Superman suffer death at least 999 more times using his resurrection chamber until he finally puts him down for good; for Darkseid plans to destroy everyone in the universe; if he can't rule it, then he will destroy it. And when all of the universe is gone, then Darkseid will make Superman suffer a death worse than any he will suffer soon.

However, just as Orion returns to Earth, portals appear in the planet's skies, and the forces of Apokolips attack under Jason's command. Orion tries to lend help, but his meager military power proves no match against the Apokoliptian invasion that is decimating even Earth's military mights. During the battle, Orion's vessel crashes into Metropolis, where he ends up as the lone survivor while the rest of his people up in the skies are obliterated under Jason's command. As the invasion commences, the event is broadcasted to New Genesis, with Darkseid quickly announcing his plans to kill all of his enemies across the universe. Before anyone on New Genesis can do anything about this, a portal opens up near the New Genesis castle and Doomsday drops in to destroy it and kill its inhabitants. Doomsday manages to kill off all the politicians, decimates the entire military force, and kills off every single remaining inhabitant without exception, rendering the end of the New Genesis empire (and leaving Orion as its solve survivor).

Soon, the Apokoliptian invasion of Earth ends when all of its military forces have been destroyed and all of its military personnel dead. Darkseid then appears in Metropolis and broadcasts a worldwide ultimatum; if any on Earth who remain join his empire with complete and total obedience, then he will kill them all, just as he did with the empire of New Genesis. Thus, the politicians of Earth unanimously agree to join Apokolips.

**A/N: This is all I got so far. Tell me how I should proceed with this and conclude it (I think the second chapter maybe significantly shorter than the first though).**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: All right, people, this is it. I gotta finish this. Even if it will be short and unsatisfying, let's just get this over with, b/c this will be the last of it. There will not be a third part to this. This is the end. Enjoy what you can.**

Following Darkseid's takeover of Earth, he begins conquering other inhabited worlds using the Mother Box, decimating civilizations and taking their survivors as slaves back on Apokolips, who are dying out in droves (this is to fulfill Darkseid's wishes to wipe out every single individual in the universe). Doomsday is used to raze the remnants of the conquered planets to desolate wastelands. Amidst all this, however, Orion has organized a growing band of rebels of various species, of which Lois and Jimmy Olsen are a part of, against Darkseid's tyranny, but it doesn't gain much ground; he loses more members that he gains to the powers of Apokolips. Meanwhile, Superman dies almost one hundred times in Darkseid's resurrection chamber (btw, I forgot to add that in this universe, red kryptonite hinders Superman's abilities to nothingness) before he wakes up from a death to find all the red kryptonite gone. With that, he is powerful enough to break free and he roams Darkseid's palace. He kills every one of his guards and frees Big Barda, which allows her to kill Granny Goodness. But they only find out that Darkseid and Jason have claimed Earth as their new home so they can lead the hunt for Orion and his rebels. Superman and Big Barda escape the palace and take the latter's spaceship to return to Earth.

Orion's group, including Lois and Jimmy, are cornered by Apokoliptian forces and are taken to be executed before Darkseid and Jason in the basement of the ruined _Daily Planet_. But before they can be executed, Superman and Big Barda, arriving from Apokolips, come in and swiftly take out the executioners. Darkseid and Jason manage to escape, and in their place, Doomsday returns. Doomsday manages to decimate most of Orion's rebels, leaving the likes of Lois and Jimmy alive though, but in the end, Superman and Big Barda tagteam to finally beat him into several rocky machine parts in an epic fight that sprawls throughout Metropolis. However, with most of his rebels dead from the conflict, Darkseid manages to surprise and overpower Orion, killing him out of personal spite. Jason, meanwhile, appears before Superman and Big Barda not as an enemy, but as an ally; he tells them that when he watched Superman die, he realized that he was his real father rather than Richard White, which is why he removed the red kryptonite from Darkseid's resurrection chamber. He then agrees to help them take Darkseid down; however, up in Earth's orbit, Darkseid's spy, Desaad, tells his master of Jason's treachery. Darkseid decides to return to Apokolips via the Mother Box while Earth's occupying forces take down Superman, Barda, and Jason.

While the trio of heroes (Superman, Barda, and Jason) are ambushed by Apokoliptian forces, Superman is able to fight past them to fly up into the sky where Darkseid intends to depart. He manages to catch up and tackles Darkseid through the portal, where they end up back at Apokolips in Darkseid's throne room. There, they have a final showdown which then extends out into the barren grounds of Apokolips where the slaves work and die. There, Superman ends it all by grabbing onto Darkseid and casting the both of them into a giant lava pit, where Darkseid's screams define his death. And with the death of their ruler, all of Darkseid's warriors, on both Earth and Apokolips, commit suicide, signifying the definitive end of the Apokoliptian empire and freeing the remaining slaves. Barda, however, informs Jason, Lois, and Jimmy that the fire from the lava pit was so intense, neither Superman nor Darkseid could survive it, which means they are both definitely dead. Lois and Jason seek solace in each other as they weep over Superman's loss.

The film, and the series ends, as Earth once again begins rebuilding what was lost to Apokolips, only this time never having to worry about the empire as a threat again. Superman's death is especially commemorated for his own sacrifice; Big Barda agrees to fulfill his shoes as the world's greatest hero, just as Superman wanted her to do anyway, and Lois sinks into depression over her second husband's loss. Jason, meanwhile, decides to literally travel the planet, finding a purpose in his life, as he doesn't feel as if he could fill his father's shoes as Superman. He ultimately ends up at the Fortress of Solitude, where he activates the crystal containing the information provided by Jor-El. Jason asks if he could ever become like his father. Jor-El finishes it all by saying, "Of course; it is as it always will be. The son becomes the father, and the father becomes the son."

**A/N: That's it everyone. That's how it all ends. I await your comments.  
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End file.
